Health Minister, Obadiah Moyo has issued a press statement stating that Zimbabwe adheres to the World Health Standards as South Africa records a positive coronavirus patient.
Zimbabwe’s southern neighbour confirmed a coronavirus positive patient who had arrived from Italy, raising fears that the virus may infiltrate and not contained into the nation that has an estimated three million people living in South Africa.
“As part of its efforts to strengthen Zimbabwe and the global fight against the spread of COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe wishes to advise that it continues to adhere and to uphold World Health Organisation (WHO) Regulations, Guidelines and Advisories on travel requirements,” Moyo says.
“As such, all travellers and visitors into the country, including those from countries with confirmed COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc, etc) will be referred immediately to designated isolation centres for further clinical examination and assistance.”
The patient of a highly contagious virus in Zimbabwe’s neighbour arrived in South Africa with a group of ten people on 3 March 2020.
Minister of Health in South Africa, Dr Zweli Mkhize says the patient, who has two children, has been self-isolating since 3 March.
“The Emergency Operating Centre (EOC) has identified the contacts by interviewing the patient and doctor,” Mkhize.
“The tracer team has been deployed to KwaZulu-Natal with epidemiologists and clinicians from NICD.”
“The doctor has been self-isolated as well,” Mkhize went on.
Besides South Africa, other African countries which have been confirmed to have coronavirus include, Algeria (17), Senegal (4), Egypt (2), Morocco (1), Nigeria (1) and Tunisia (1).
Zimbabwe’s first suspected coronavirus case was tested negative after a quarantine.
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